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Abstract Background High-grade serous ovarian cancer is a detrimental disease. Treatment options in patients with a recurrent disease are dependent on BRCA1/2 mutation status since only patients with known BRCA mutation are eligible for treatment with poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase inhibitors (PARPi). The aim of this study was to compare concordance of BRCA mutation analyses from cytological samples (CS) with BRCA mutation analyses from histological formalin fixed paraffin embedded (FFPE) samples. Methods Mutation analysis of BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes was performed in 44 women diagnosed with primary or recurrent high-grade ovarian cancer from three different samples: blood, cytological sample (ascites, pleural effusion and enlarged lymph nodes) and tumor tissue. Results from all three samples were compared. Results Among 44 patients, there were 15 germline mutations and two somatic mutations. A 100% concordance was found between cytological and histologic samples. Conclusion There is a 100% concordance in BRCA mutation testing between cytological and histologic samples. BRCA mutation testing from CS could replace testing from FFPE tissue in clinical decision making in ovarian cancer patients. Trial registration The study was retrospectively registered at ISRCTN registry on 24/11/2015 - ISRCTN42408038.

Tumble drying of textiles is associated with mechanical and thermal stress, which leads to textile damage and shedding of fibers. In this study, fiber shedding from cotton textiles is investigated by evaluating the mass of fibers accumulated on different filters positioned downstream of the tumble dryer drum. The total mass of fibers at the end of drying was positively correlated with the dry mass of the loaded textiles. By observing the time-dependent accumulation of fibers on a high-performance filter, three different phases of fiber shedding could be identified. In the first phase, which lasted up to a textile moisture content of about 35%, only minimal fiber accumulation was detected. The following phase lasted almost until the end of drying and showed the highest fiber accumulation rates. In the last phase, the rate of fiber accumulation decreased. The experiments also showed that longer tumbling of textiles with a lower moisture content led to a greater total mass of accumulated fibers. To reduce fiber shedding, damage to the textiles and the resulting pollution, it is recommended to reduce the mechanical loading of textiles, especially in the final stages of the drying process.

Cavitation erosion is one of the most severe problems encountered in hydraulic turbomachinery. When testing the materials, the engineers usually rely on standardized procedures. The most common one being the vibratory ASTM G-32 test, which offers two possibilities of performing the test – the direct, where the specimen is attached to the ultrasonic device and the indirect, where the specimen is stationary and exposed to the ultrasonic horn, positioned just 0.5 mm from it. The erosion rates from the two are significantly different and a question may be asked if they are at all comparable and further on are they comparable to the “real-life” hydrodynamic cavitation which occurs in turbomachinery.In this study we performed erosion tests on a stationary specimen where the gap between the specimen and the horn was varied from 0.3 to 4 mm. In addition, we used high speed visualization to observe the cavitation in the gap.We observed that the cavitation erosion rate strongly depends on the gap. From visualization we see that the cavitation dynamics significantly changes in a small gap, leading to a large, but 2-dimensional cavitation bubbles which collapse very slowly, compared to the small spherical ones in a larger gap.We investigated the probability of shock wave occurrence and derived a very simple model, which gives accurate qualitative predictions of experimental data.Finally, the study puts into question the validity of ASTM G32 test – the most common approach used in engineering today.

Incidenca melanoma v svetu in Sloveniji še vedno narašča, se je pa preživetje v zadnjih 20 letih izboljšalo, predvsem zaradi zgodnejšega odkrivanja melanoma in enotnih pristopov v primarnem zdravljenju. Posodobljena Priporočila v letu 2024 prinašajo precej novosti, predvsem v diagnostičnih postopkih odkrivanja in zamejitve zgodnjih stadijev melanoma, kot tudi natančnih priporočil sledenja po primarnem zdravljenju, na področju kirurškega zdravljenja in pa predvsem sistemskega zdravljenja, tako metastatske bolezni, predvsem pa v adjuvan- tnem sistemskem zdravljenju v visoko rizičnem stadiju II, in neo- adjuvantnem sistemskem zdravljenju operabilnega melanoma. V tokratna Priporočila smo vključili tudi poglavji prehranskega in paliativnega tima.

Abstract Different applications or industries use different systems for linear actuation, such as hydraulic, pneumatic or electric. Electric systems are becoming increasingly popular and are already replacing hydraulic systems in various applications. These are known to be potentially harmful to the environment, as large amounts of fluid can be released into the environment in the event of a pipe burst or other accident. This paper presents the results of a comparison between hydraulic, pneumatic and electric systems under variable conditions but with similar loads in all three systems. The common feature of all three systems is the input power, which was limited to 1.1 kW. There was no hydraulic accumulator in the hydraulic system and no pressure vessel in the pneumatic system, so no stored energy could influence the system behaviour or results. The main difference between the systems studied was the profile of displacement and power consumption. The most consistent response and lowest power consumption were obtained with the electric system, although both hydraulic and pneumatic systems can achieve consistent response with some modifications.

Small-scale vegetable producers often do not have modern mechanical equipment; as a result, a significant amount of inter-row and all intra-row weeding is performed manually. The development of small, affordable machines increases the competitiveness of organic vegetable production, improves sustainable land use, and reduces dependence on unwanted herbicides. In this study, a simple modular lightweight e-hoe with the capability for both inter-row (1st degree of freedom) and intra-row (2nd degree of freedom) weeding was proposed. The e-hoe uses battery-powered in-wheel drives to move the platform (3rd degree of freedom) and additional drives to operate the tools. The e-hoe was evaluated in a small greenhouse using three different tools: a traditional hoe, an adjusted rounded hoe, and an adjusted spring tine narrow hoe. The experiments were conducted at four different tool rotation speeds, using specially designed 3D-printed models for crops and weeds for evaluation. The results indicate that the efficiency of the e-hoe rates up to 95% when the right tool design and rotation speed are combined. Based on the battery capacity, the machine can be operated for approximately 3.7 h, enabling the weeding of about 3050 plants.

Design of open channel transport and flow measurement systems for highly viscous liquids requires accurate modelling of laminar free overfall. In this study, a computational fluid dynamics model was developed to investigate subcritical laminar free overfall in smooth horizontal channels with 90° isosceles triangle cross-section. Volume of fluid-based simulations were performed at different liquid discharges and viscosities, with Reynolds numbers at normal uniform depth between 5.5 and 139. Simulation results were in good agreement with verification experiments, indicating development of laminar velocity magnitude profiles while gauge pressure profiles resemble hydrostatic distribution except near the brink. The end-depth-ratio ranged between 0.80 and 0.96, reducing towards values reported for turbulent free overfall in the highest Reynolds number simulation. Existing models for critical depth, end depth discharge and free overfall jet trajectories were in satisfactory agreement above Re = 10, while producing larger deviations below this threshold due to increased viscous effects.

Acoustic cavitation, generated by a piezo-driven transducer, is a commonly used technique in a variety of processes, from homogenization, emulsification, and intensification of chemical reactions to surface cleaning and wastewater treatment. An ultrasonic horn, the most commonly used acoustic cavitation device, creates unique cavitation conditions under the horn tip that depend on various parameters such as the tip diameter, the driving frequency of the horn, its amplitude, and fluid properties. Unlike for hydrodynamic cavitation, the scaling laws for acoustic cavitation are poorly understood. Empirical relationships between cavitation dynamics, ultrasonic horn operating conditions, and fluid properties were found through systematic characterization of cavitation under the tip. Experiments were conducted in distilled water with various sodium chloride salt concentrations under different horn amplitudes, tip geometries, and ambient pressures. Cavitation characteristics were monitored by high-speed (200,000 fps) imaging, and numerous relations were found between operating conditions and cavitation dynamics. The compared results are discussed along with a proposal of a novel acoustic cavitation parameter and its relationship to the size of the cavitation cloud under the horn tip. Similar to the classical hydrodynamic cavitation number, the authors propose for the first time an acoustic cavitation parameter based on experimental results.

Abstract Background Individuals from melanoma-prone families have similar or reduced sun-protective behaviors compared to the general population. Studies on trends in sun-related behaviors have been temporally and geographically limited. Methods Individuals from an international consortium of melanoma-prone families (GenoMEL) were retrospectively asked about sunscreen use, sun exposure (time spent outside), sunburns, and sunbed use at several timepoints over their lifetime. Generalized linear mixed models were used to examine the association between these outcomes and birth cohort defined by decade spans, after adjusting for covariates. Results A total of 2407 participants from 547 families across 17 centers were analyzed. Sunscreen use increased across subsequent birth cohorts, and although the likelihood of sunburns increased until the 1950s birth cohort, it decreased thereafter. Average sun exposure did not change across the birth cohorts, and the likelihood of sunbed use increased in more recent birth cohorts. We generally did not find any differences in sun-related behavior when comparing melanoma cases to non-cases. Melanoma cases had increased sunscreen use, decreased sun exposure, and decreased odds of sunburn and sunbed use after melanoma diagnosis compared to before diagnosis. Conclusions Although sunscreen use has increased and the likelihood of sunburns has decreased in more recent birth cohorts, individuals in melanoma-prone families have not reduced their overall sun exposure and had an increased likelihood of sunbed use in more recent birth cohorts. These observations demonstrate partial improvements in melanoma prevention and suggest that additional intervention strategies may be needed to achieve optimal sun-protective behavior in melanoma-prone families.

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The blade outlet angle, wrap angle, and number of blades of the impeller are optimized to increase the pumping efficiency of the automotive coolant pump while keeping the size constant. Three new variants were designed and the optimal one was selected for the comparison with the original scheme. The experiment was conducted to test the hydraulic performance of the optimized impeller. The results show that the energy characteristics of the optimized impeller are in reasonable agreement with the experimental data. The energy characteristics and internal flow details of original scheme and optimized scheme are analyzed and compared. It was found that increasing the wrap angle while decreasing blade outlet angle appropriately can improve the flow conditions and the pressure distribution in the impeller and the volute, especially at low flow rates. At the designed flow rate, increasing the wrap angle while decreasing the number of blades and blade outlet angle can significantly increase the efficiency of the pump. And the maximum efficiency of the optimized impeller is 4.8% higher than the efficiency of the original impeller. The results of the study can guide designers in optimizing an automotive centrifugal coolant pump and reduce energy consumption of the automotive cooling system.

This paper describes the process of 3D analysis of two water currents with method of photogrammetry. Photogrammetry is used in fields such as architecture, engineering, police investigation, preserving cultural heritage, military and geology. This method can be used in military to reconstruct a site with traces of shrapnel or various projectiles. In our case we tried to measure height of turbulent flow, where two currents collided at the angle of 90°. In first section we introduce our problem and method. Second section describes method of photogrammetry and basics of torrential flows. In third section we describe our experiment. Fourth section describes the course of getting 3D model. In fifth section we analyze results and in sixth section, a conclusion is given.

The research on the potential of cavitation exploitation is currently an extremely interesting topic. To reduce the costs and time of the cavitation reactor optimization, nowadays, experimental optimization is supplemented and even replaced using computational fluid dynamics (CFD). This is a very inviting opportunity for many developers, yet we find that all too often researchers with non-engineering background treat this “new” tool too simplistic, what leads to many misinterpretations and consequent poor engineering.The present paper serves as an example of how complex the flow features, even in the very simplest geometry, can be, and how much effort needs to be put into details of numerical simulation to set a good starting point for further optimization of cavitation reactors. Finally, it provides guidelines for the researchers, who are not experts in computational fluid dynamics, to obtain reliable and repeatable results of cavitation simulations.

Tumbling Multi-Chamber (TMC) gear pump is a generally unknown type of hydraulic device, which features a unique three-dimensional shape of the gears. The main benefits of such design over the conventional gear pumps are self-adapting tightness of the pump parts, the possibility to mold the parts from a polymer material and high volumetric efficiency, considering the simplicity of the design. The specific working principle of TMC pumps requires a slightly different approach to the numeric modeling and analysis process compared to the conventional gear pump types (e.g. external gear and gerotor pumps). One of the main contributions of the work is the development of an analysis procedure, which allows studying flow and pressure conditions in the TMC pump. This includes the influence of the positioning of the pump parts on spatial and temporal variations in sealing regions and the influence of pressure field propagation in relation to the valve plate position.

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V preteklosti so bolnike z zasevki po peritoneju obravnavali kot neozdravljivo bolne s terminalnim stanjem raka, ki se zdravi samo paliativno. Ob takšnem pristopu je bilo povprečno preživetje bolnikov le dva meseca. Zdravljenje teh bolnikov se je v devetdesetih letih prejšnjega stoletja pomembno spremenilo. Nekateri raziskovalci so bili namreč mnenja, da so peritonealni zasevki v določenih primerih samo vrsta loko-regionalne bolezni in se bolnik lahko (p)ozdravi. Eden glavnih zagovornikov te teorije in novega načina zdravljenja je bil Paul Sugarbaker. V sklopu zdravljenja se je začela uporabljati citoreduktivna kirurgija v kombinaciji z intraperitonealno kemoterapijo. Namen kirurškega posega je bila makroskopska odstranitev tumorja, nato pa z intraperitonealno kemoterapijo odstranitev še morebitnih mikroskopskih “preostankov” bolezni. Postopek, pri katerem citostatik med operacijo uvedemo in segrevamo, se imenuje hipertermična intraperitonealna kemoterapija. Hipertermija ima že sama po sebi protitumorski učinek na maligne celice, saj povzroči razgradnjo proteinov, aktivranje lizosomov in apoptozo. Ob segrevanju raztopine citostatika potečejo zapletene kemijske reakcije, ki dodatno povečajo njegovo učinkovitost in povečajo globino prodiranja zdravila v tumorsko tkivo. O najboljših rezultatih te oblike zdravljenja so poročali v primerih psevdomiksoma peritoneja, raka debelega črevesa in danke, karcinoma slepiča, karcinoma jajčnikov in peritonealnega mezotelioma. V prispevku avtorji predstavijo to zahtevno metodo zdravljenja, indikacije in vključitvena merila bolnikov ter sodobna spoznanja o učinkovitosti te metode za določene vrste raka.

Slovenia is a Central European country with a long history of hydropower. This paper gives a brief introduction to the current status of hydropower utilization and informs about some selected successful examples of hydropower plant operation. One such example is fish passage and flood risk reduction on the lower reaches of the Sava River at the Brežice hydroelectric power plant, taking into account a complex of morphological, hydrological, hydraulic, and anthropogenic factors. Future development is considered against the background of the National Energy and Climate Plan, which does not envisage any significant expansion in the capacity or function of the hydropower sector. The envisaged capacity increase is from the current 4430 GWh to around 4580 GWh by 2030. It is shown that the current energy storage capacity of Slovenia’s only pumped storage plant will be sufficient to offset the introduction of new non-dispatchable renewable energy sources by 2030. By around 2028, the country will have a need for electrical energy storage from renewable energy sources, reaching a modest total of only 6140 MWh per year. However, by sticking to the unambitious National Energy and Climate Plan, Slovenia will miss the opportunity to remain self-sufficient in electricity generation and significantly increase its share of renewable energy sources. The National Energy and Climate Plan aims to increase the share of renewable energy in total energy generation from 25% in 2020 to 27% by 2030.

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Background:Anaplastic thyroid carcinoma (ATC) may arise de novoor from a preexistent differentiated carcinoma. It is well known that higher iodine intake in the diet causes higher frequency of papillary thyroid carcinoma, but decreases the frequency of follicular thyroid carcinoma. However, it is not known how the change in iodine intake influences the frequency of ATC. The aim of our study was to compare the incidence of ATC during the periods when the intake of potassium iodide in salt was 10 and 25 mg/kg.Methods:A total of 205 patients with ATC (140 women, 65 men; median, 69 years) were treated in the Republic of Slovenia between 1972 and 2008. In Slovenia, a country with a population of 2 million people, the salt was iodinated with 10 mg of potassium iodide/kg from 1972 to 1997. From 1998 to 2008 the degree of iodination of salt was increased to 25 mg of potassium iodide/kg. The frequency of ATC during the two periods and the characteristics of the patients during these periods were compared.Results:The mean incidences of ATC during 1972–1997 and 1998–2008 was 6.2 (range, 3–12) and 4 (range, 2–10) patients per year, respectively. During the period 1972–1997 and 1998–2008, the mean age of patients was 66.7 and 72.2 years (p= 0.02), and the mean tumor diameter was 9.6 and 8.6 cm (p= 0.21), respectively. However, the median survival of patients in both periods was 3 months.Conclusion:The incidence of ATC decreased after higher iodination of salt. The patients with ATC during the period of higher iodination of salt were older than those from the period with lower iodination of salt. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]